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Category: Jharia Pollution

Samir Mehanovic has directed a short film on Jharia titled “Mouth Of Hell”. This short film has been made on Jharia Coalfield fire and has been nominated for The British Academy Of Film And Television Arts 2017.

According to the director, Jharia, India is the most dangerous place on the Earth. Fire is increasing rapidly and making our environment polluted. This is the city of Anant and he scrapes a living picking coal and selling it to the market to feed his sick mother. The director has told about the Jharia, You must read.

Today I am going to share about one person who has been doing great work towards environment of Jharia and its surrounding areas through plantation. There are many news, I read in news papers about Jharia and become very disappointed to know various issues of Jharia like Electricity issue, Pollution, bad situation of coal mining areas, Water crisis etc. I found one page news about Jharia and its surrounding areas in Dainik Jagran, Prabhat Khabar, Hindustan etc. And in English Newspaper, we rarely found news from Jharia.

I have made Jharia.in to collect news of Hopes of Jharia. Such news from which we can get hopes of new Jharia. If all problems of Jharia would have been resolved, then How Jharia would look like that time?

I have already written about Samadhaan and Marwari Yuva Manch(working great towards society). Today, I am going to share about Green Life Jharia and its founder Dr. Manoj Singh who has been working since long towards Jharia and its environment. Akhlaque Ahmed is also working with him in his plantation program. His plantation program is taking our society in good way. He is very active in his work. We daily read Green Life News in news papers. Lets know about him and his work because this will give hopes from Jharia.

First of all, Thanks to Dr Manoj Kumar Singh and his team for their great contribution towards society. I would like to share some news of him and his Green Life. Please check:

Dr. Manoj Kumar Singh, Green Life Jharia has been committed with his team towards nature, environment. He says one thing. Check the following:

green life of doctor manoj plantation work

He said, someone had planted trees for us and we just get benefits of it. Now its our turn, lets plants trees for others. We inspire from Doctor Manoj and his NGO. We should protect your earth and prevent from Pollution.

It is surprising and also disturbing to note that what offers scope for huge commercial profits is also an immense source of pollution and the worst health ailments that mankind has ever known. We are talking about the Jharia coalfields. It consists of 23 mines that lay underground and 9 large open ones, all now burning with high flames.

Jharia and its fire underground

Jharia coalfield fire started 100 years ago

The fires raging in Jharia’s coal mines have been going on an astounding hundred years. It’s very difficult to put out any of them because once a coal seam has been ignited, unless it is snuffed early, it will go on for tens to even hundreds of years. So, though the abundant coal fields of Jharia are the most productive in the country, yielding very high quality coal, they are also the source of the worst pollutants.

Jharia coal Fire

Jharia Coal Mines and Pollution Control

A huge amount of poisonous gases are let into the atmosphere from mines on the surface. Furthermore, fires burning in the underground mines here have also created massive sinkholes that have taken the lives of many. Emissions from these fires are highly toxic as tests show that they have 40 to 50 hydrocarbons mentioned in britannica.com, many of which are carcinogenic. No steps were taken in the past on pollution and environment control here.

Impact of coal mining on the environment and people living close by

Coal contains sulfur and many dangerous metals such as lead, arsenic and mercury, which get released into the air when it is burnt and this is great risk for our health . As coal is largely made up of carbon, it releases a tremendous amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is known to increase the greenhouse effect and cause global warming. When coal is extracted on the subsurface area, the mines have a tendency to collapse thus trapping miners.

People living closely the mines get black lung disease from pollutants arising from burning coal and coal particles. They can also get lung inflammation and respiratory problems. Coal that is removed from mountains results in removal of layers from the mountain top, which changes the landscape and disrupts the fragile ecosystem in the area. The smoke can also affect water bodies, contaminate them and increase their acidity levels. Land around the coal mine is unfertile and no vegetation grows in it. The temperature of the area increases and this combined with smoke can cause suffocation.

“Dr. S. K. Bhagania in his private clinic in Jharia, holding up an X-ray for a coal-mining patient revealing a mass in the lungs. Many of those working in the coal industry and living near the open fires suffer from severe respiratory ailments including tuberculosis, pneumoconiosis and asthma. Credit Souvid Datta”

Jharia People suffer from severe respiratory ailments

If The Environment and Health Problems Due To Coal Mining Are So Bad, Why Are We Still Relying On Jharia Coal Mines as a Source of Energy?

The Jharia coal mines were initiated in the late 1800s. The first fire broke out in 1916 and till today, it continues to rage, thus contributing to global warming. The question arises… why any action is not taken by the government to stop work in these mines completely.

The answer is simple. These coal mines provide the highest quality coal in the country and mining coal from them fuels the country’s rapid economic growth. It also stops the country from importing this grade of coal for energy purposes. While countries in the West are now thriving because of their huge technological advancement, developing nations like India, still really on coal resources for energy supply. Though the Modi Government has given hopes of making heavy investment into Solar energy, still it is not possible to move right away into it.

Furthermore, Jharia coal fields have not been used to their complete potential as a huge amount of coal is lost to burning fires. Before taking action on how to put out the fires, we must learn how much is financial lost by the burning fires. It is estimated that 37 million tons of coal, with could have fetched billions of dollars if they had been mined has been lost to the fires.

Adding to this is another 1.4 billion metric tons of coal which cannot be accessed anymore as raging fires are blocking them. These huge figures make it imperative for them to be put down right away so that their potential can be turned into a huge economical gain for the country.

By putting out the fires huge profits can be gained from them. Hence talks are in progress to have them put out for this purpose… the question is when will that happen completely?

What Is The Government Doing About The Health And Environmental Issues Of Coal Mining?

The first step taken by the government towards this is seen in efforts to relocate villages and settlements at a further distance from the mines, so that the fires can be extinguished. This is also protecting people from the pollution caused by their flames. These activities are expensive and the estimated cost is 1 billion dollars.

The next step is initiation of activities that put out the fires. In case of near surface fires, the area above the fire has to be smoothened out so that heavy equipment can be taken over it. The entire fire zone is then cordoned into a grid structure and holes are drilled in it about 20 meters apart.

Water is injected into the holes and this process must go on for one or two years. The area should be then covered by silt. Underground fires can be extinguished by first isolating the affected area with dam constructions and then feeding an inert gas like nitrogen through pipelines into the area for a period of time to douse flames. These methods should be followed to put out Jharia coal field fires and make them usable again.

I have taken some photographs which has been used in Sabji Patti Jharia Durga Puja Pandal to show the truth about Jharia. Have a look:

Share your comments and opinions in the comment section to discuss about the Jharia Coal Mines and Pollution control.

I am shocked to see newspaper today. It said that dhanbad is the Most Dirtiest City in Swachh Bharat Survey. In Swachh Bharat Survey, Masoor is the most cleaned city and Dhanbad is the most dirtiest city. See this news in Prabhat Khabar:

Masoor cleaned and dhanbad dirtiest

We are so ashamed of it to see the newspaper. I am not here to blame our Government and Dhanbad Municipal Corporation and other people. I will blame myself for this. If everybody start thinking about this, they will come to know that we all are responsible for that. Suppose that, you said, you are not responsible. You have not polluted the city. But if you are cleaning your home and you daily see your polluted city and not taking any action. Then you are also responsible for that. why am I writing here at Jharia.in? There is a reason behind it. Here in Dhanbad-Jharia, Coal dust would be the most responsible reason for this dirtiness.

Dhanbad is the Most Dirtiest City in Swachh Bharat Survey change yourself first

I have taken some snapshots of some very popular areas, have a look:

Dhanbad court has no dusbindhanbad court gate no dusbin

Now, these was the truth. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Survey is very true. I have taken one more snapshot of Janta Market Dhanbad. Have a look:

Janta Market Pollution Plastic Open Toilet

Now, there will not be any solution, if we keep talking about the problems. We have to talk about solutions. What is the Solution of this problem.

I would like to support our Dhanbad Mayor Sahab in his mission through this post. Sir, you are not alone. I and the whole Dhanbad Peoples are with you in this Swachh Bharat Mission. Thank You so much sir for this support. We will clean Dhanbad as soon as possible. I would like to say something more on CORRUPTION. It is like ‘Dimak'(termites) which is eating all important Government Papers and Funds. First of all we have to remove this from all Government Offices and its areas. It is the most dangerous for this Abhiyan. It will not allow us to clean Dhanbad. We have to clean all Government Organizations, Install CCTV everywhere, so that people could not give any bribe or any staff could not take any bribe. We have to end paper work and make them all online.

I am Ravi kumar and would like to take your attention towards the most dangerous issue of Jharia and its near by regions. I just collected some news and write about the same so that People could be aware of their place and its near by places.

Jharia Fire

A recent news in Prabhat Khabar – It is very clear that the underground fire is growing rapidly in Jharia and its near by places like Mahuda, Katras, Sijua, Kendua, Bhowrah, Lodna etc. From this underground fire, the coal of more than crores are wasting and pollution is increasing. People’s life is in danger. Anytime land subsidence can happen and it can take all people inside.

Jharia Mahuda land slide same as earthquake 2016

We today read news paper daily regarding the land subsidence, gas emissions, 1 people died from fire, 2 people died from underground fire etc but very sorry to say that we do not read any such news like what they are doing? what steps are they following, from the concern department who are working on these underground fires. That Time is not so far when we will be in great danger or hazard.

Underground Fire Jharia Mahuda area

I again saw a news on the same, in recent case, the large amount of land has been swamped and started gas emission. This is being said that the underground fire is the cause of this land slide. In Sudamdih Chip House New East Bhowrah, suddenly two houses gone inside the earth and gas emission has started.

land subsidence underground fire gas emission

I know one person in Facebook who has posted the following pictures and these pictures came from Ramgarh Area, Jharkhand. Let see the pictures:

About 4-5 places are burning from underground fire Bhurkunda Dist Ramgarh in Jharkhand

This Picture came from Dinesh Rajgadia and he said the following in his Facebook Post:

Coal fire in my town
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This is a sample of Jharia fire in coal at my area Bhurkunda Dist Ramgarh in Jharkhand.

About 4-5 places are burning.

We are going to became next Jharia !

Protest it !
Share it to everyone so that coal India officials and govt authorities take notice